Bbick-pbess



A. H. BROWN.

BRICK PRESS.

No. 11,658. Patented Sept. 5, "1854.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER H. BROWN, OF GEORGETOYVN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BRICK-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,658, dated September 5,1854.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER H. BROWN, of the city of Georgetown and District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Machine for Manufacturing Bricks from Dry Clay; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical side view. Fig. 2 a sectional View through line a b, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a front view, and Fig. 4 a birdseye View or plan. Fig. 5 a plan of the mold, Fig. 6 an end elevation of the same. Fig. 7 an isometric view.

Like letters representing like parts in the different figures, the whole being laid down to a scale of two inches to the foot except Figs. 5 and 6, which are four inches to the foot, in order that any one skilled in the art of machinery may construct a machine from the accompanying drafts of the Letters Patent.

A, A, A, Fig. 1, represents the frame in three separate portions consisting of the top, side and bed pieces securely fastened by six bolts on each side, four of which reach through from the bed piece at Z, Z, Z, Z, to the top of the frame, thus tying the whole securely together.

B, B, is a chain of molds of a peculiar form revolving overt-he octagonal wheels C, C. This chain of molds is constructed as follows: Three sides of a rectangular frame or box of iron are cast without a bottom and one side, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

This frame forms three sides of the mold in front and at the lower part of the side a Figs. 5 and 7 there is placed a projecting plate of iron 0, Figs. 5 and 7.

forming a solid casting.

Attached to the projecting plate 0 as well as to the side B, are two half circular lugs D, D, which serve the double purpose of connecting the molds together and forming teeth gearing into the octagons C, C, Fig. 1, by which the chain is caused to revolve. As the chain revolves upon the octagons, the projecting plate 0, Fig. 5, plays within the hollow square, when by the movement of the octagon the chain forms a horizontal line, the projecting plate 0 takes its position and forms the bottom of the mold; the 'front of The three sides a and b b and the projecting plate a the side of one frame closes a ainst the ends of the sides I), b, of the prece ing frame and forms a perfect rectangular mold, when it is ready to receive the clay from the hopper above it. u

I can vary the form of the molds by dispensing with either ends I) Z) or the bottoms c, c, and perform the compression immediately upon the compression plate T, and sides guides. In these cases the molds would be connected together by outside links. Two of the octagonal wheels are placed on the front of the machine, these serve to raise and bring the molds into a horizontal line preparatory totheir receiving the pulverized clay; the other two serving to open the molds at the back end of the machine in order to enable the offbearer. to receive the bricks after being compressed or to deliver them upon an endless apron to be conveyed to any convenient point.

D is a hopper through which the clay passes into the molds. j

E is a first plunger which compresses the clay to within one and one half inches of the thickness of the finished size of the brick, when the second plunger F, finishes the brick by a plunge of one and one half inches; both plungers acting simultaneously. Two bricks remain partiallycompressed between the first and second plungers.

G is a scraper placed between the first and second plungers in a diagonal posit-ionin chain of molds B, B, at each thrust of the ratchet bar IL This movement is produced by each revolution of the tooth wheel L, acting upon said bar which acts upon the ratchet stock 0, and pall hand I, themold remaining stationary while the pall hand is returning to take hold of the ratchet tooth at which time the plungers descend and produce the required compression.

L, L are two tooth wheels upon whose shafts are placed the two cams M and N which actuate the two plungers E and F, in the downward motion and are shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4:.

P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, are eight of sixteen guides fastened to the plungers,'eight above and eight belOwtFig's. 1,2, and 3) through which pass eight turned rods or bars WV, W, giving direction to the two plungers E and F Q, Q, Q, Q, Figs. 1 and 4, are four of eight set screws for the purpose of tightening the chain of molds B, B, after'being linked together.

R, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, is a driving pulley.

'8, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4c, is a fly wheel.

T, T, Fig. 2 are two compress plates upon which the mold rests while the bricks are being compressed.

U, Figs. 1; 3, 4 is a small pinion upon the driving pulley shaft, gearing into the two tooth wheels L, L, and giving motion to all the different parts of the machine.

V, V, V V Figs. 1, 2 are eight spiral springs which cause the plungers E, and F, to react as soon as they are disengaged from the two cams in order to'let the succeeding molds take. their places upon compress plates T, T.

WV, WV, W, WV, Figs. 1, 2 are four of eight bolts or bars extending from Z,'Z, Z,Z, Fig. 1 entirely through from-bottom to top ofv frame in order to make the frame secure as well as to receive the whole force of compression and to relieve the castings from any strain. That portion of these bolts WW,W, W, WV, encircled by the spiral springs, being turned smooth and true for the purpose of producing an 'undeviating thrust of the plungers into the molds through the guides P, P, P, P, Figs. 1, 2. x

X, X, Figs. 1, 2,are two bolts passing. through from side to side oftheframe and secured by heavy nuts and placed immedi- I ately below the compress plates to prevent. any lateral yielding during compression.

Y, Y, Y,,Y, Figs. 1, 2 are four hollow;

columns on each side of frame through which the rods W, W, WV, WV, pass to receive the nuts Z, Z, Z, Z, Figs. 1, 2. p

The mode of operation and peculiar ad-' vantages of my machine are as follows: When power is communicated from the driving pinion U through machinery above 1 described to the octagons C, C, as the octagons revolve they propel the chain of molds. By the arrangements I have dei scribed the movement of molds is made progressive but not continuous; they stop just long enough to receive the two plungers which act simultaneously. The molds are charged by passing under the hopper which is kept filled with clay, the first plunger descending upon the clay gives to it only a. partial compression within the mold; when the mold arrives beneath the second plunger it stops just long enough for the clay to receive its final compression; the second plunger giving a more powerful compressionfrom the fact that the radius oft-he cam which operates it is smaller thanthat of the cam operating thefirst plunger. By using two. plungers acting as above I am enabled to effect what I could not with one plunger, using the same power. The. bricks thus made are delivered by the molds opening as they revolve over the back octagon; a great advantage of this mode of discharging the bricks from the molds is that while the surface then' is equal to that of the best front brick, the smoothness and glossiness of surface, preventing the adhesion of mortar, produced by forcing the bricks upward from the mold after being pressed is avoided.

The driving pulley of my machine is calculated to revolve at a-speed of two hundred revolutions per minute which produces fifty plunges in the same space of time and consequently fifty bricks per minute are produced. I

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. I do not claim the broad device of constructing molds which close before receiving the clay and open when discharging the bricks'but do claim the peculiar construction of my molds, as. described and shown, for this purpose, each separate frame or link in the chain of molds forming a part of two molds, the projecting plate 0, as the molds pass over the first octagon 0 closing so as to form the bottom of the preceding frame and from the plate a of the preceding frame leaving the brick free upon the plate 0 so that it may be easily discharged, the lugs d gearing into the octagons for propelling the f molds.

first plunger E to descend the greatest distance upon the easily compressible clay; the second cam N which actuates the plunger F having a smaller. radius than the first cam M, so that the greatest force of compression is applied to the clay already partially compressed where the greatest power is required. I A. H. BROWN.

Witnesses:

WM. NOURSE, C. F. FRARY. 

